Warp stop-motion for looms.



No. 813,304 :PATENTED FER-20,1906.

A. A. JOHNSON. WARP STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1905.

Fa 2; I

I MW" 7 wmwsses: INVENTOR W ATTORNEY 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

A. A. JOHNSON. WARP STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1905. r

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOB 0% ATTORNEY citizen of the an electric circuit.

- UNITED 'sTAT s PATENT. orrion.

ALLAN A. JOHNSON, or CENTRAL FALLS, RHonn ISLAND, Assie-non TO KIP-ARMSTRONG COMPANY, NEW YORK.

WARP STOP-MOTION Fontoolvls.

Specification of Letters Patent.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF Patented Fee 20, 1906.

Application filed June 10, 1905. Serial No. 264,656.

To all wltom it Huey concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN A. JOHNSON, a Ignited States, and a resident of Central Falls,,in the State of Rhode Island, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Warp Stop Motions for Looms, of which the following is a specification. l

The present invention relates to warp stopmotions for looms, comprising drop devices suspended from and maintained in normal position by unbroken warp threads out of electrical engagement with the terminals of In mechanisms of this character it is obviously desirable that when a warp-thread breaks .or becomes unduly slackthe loom shall be instantly stopped. This requires that the circuit shall e maintained closed a sufiicient. length 0 time to move the magnet-armature and its connected dagger into proper position and to hold said dagger in position to engage the hunter after it has once been set and until after the shipper-lever has been released. licrctofore plain solid bars have been used as circuit-terminals, said bars being rigidly secured to the loom-frame These become covered with flufi and lint, which interfere materially with good electricalengagement, and, mordover, owing to the shocks and jars to which l'oomframes are subjected a fallen drop is liable to become dislodged and its engagement with the terminal bars interrupted, thereby breaking the circuit after it has been. momentarily closed and failing to effect a closing of the circuit for a suihcient lengthof time to permit the movements of the parts necessary to knock off the loom. This objectionable fcature is particularly inherent in drop devices having a projection extending from the body thereof or otherwise formed so that one point of contact with a terminal is outside of the line of descent of the body part of the drop.

The present invention secures the closing of the circuit the instant a drop falls and its maintenance in that condition at the terminals by means which positively engage and hold the drop in its fallen position when it contacts with a terminal? The most coa ,ven-

ient way to do this is to constnuct one of the terminals in such manner as to constitutya the drop-holding means, and in the following specification 'I have described a terminal so devised that it will hold a fallen drop by a i gripping or wedging action to prevent its dislodgement. The circuit will therefore be closed without liability of interruption to effect the knocking off of the loom.

The invention will be understood by reference to the' accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 isa side elevation of a loom, showing the application of the presentinvention thereto. Fig. 2'is a front view of a portion of the loom; Fig. 3, a plan view, with some of the drops in section, showing one arrangementof the circuit-terminals. Figs. 4 to 12, bothinclusive, are enlarged views of different designs of drops, showing various modes of disposing them relative to-the circuit-termi-. nals; Fig. 13, a plan view, with the drops in Y section, of the form of terminal shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 14, a vertical sec tional' view thereof, and Figs. 15, 16, and 17, views showing different methods of supporting the wire ter- 'minal.

Similar referei'ice-numerals indlcate simllar pgirts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the loom-frame 2, the lay; 3, the lay-sword; 4, the crank connection for vi b'i ating the lay; 5, the breast-beam,- 6, the shipper-lever; 7, the warps, 8, the warp beam; 9, thereed, and 10 the .heddle's. .These parts are and may be of the usual construction and arrangement .in'looms. The sh ipperlever ,6, as usual, occupies a slot in .a bracket forming an extension of the breast-beam and engages a-shoulder when the loom is running normal. When fi-Jeed from said shoulder, a spring shifts said lever to stop the loom in the usual and well-know n manner.

To set in motion 'the loom-stopping mechanism when a warpthread breaks or be comes unduly slack, a" controlling-circuit 1.1. isemployed, which circuit includes a cut-out switch 12, the coils of a magnet 13, and terminal bars, more fully described hereinafter. The drop. devices are supported by unbroken and properly-tensioned warp-threads in such manner as to prevent electrical engagement between said drop devices and the circuit-ten minals during the normal running of the loom and. to permit such engagement when a warpthread breaks or becomes unduly slack to thereby close the circuit and effect the stopping of the loom.

In order that the invention may be fully rod to one end of a dagger 16. Y Pivotally' frame, and its armature-lever 14, fulcrumed on said bracket, is connected by a link or wire supported upon pins or studs 17 in a bracket 18, secured to theloom-frame, is a knock-off lever 19, attached at its lower end to the dagger 16 and adapted at its upper end to engagethe shipper-lever 6. The dagger 16 is normally in such position that upon each beat- -up of the lay it will enter an opening in a bunter 21, mounted-on the lay or some other vibrating or moving part of the loom; but when'the magnet '13 is ener ized through the closing of the circuit by a fa len drop the dagger 16 will be moved into such osition as to e impinged upon by the face 0 said bunter, thereby moving the knock-off lever and freein the shipper-lever to stop the loom, as wi 1 be readily understood. The drawings show a form of bunter described in United States Patent No. 778,132, dated December 20, 1904, although any other form of bunter may be used. During the normal running of the loom thecircuit is closed through the switch 12 and open at the terminal barsthat is, during the normal running of the loom the electromagnet 13 is deenergized and the loom thereby prevented from knocking off, the circuit being closed only by a fallen drop when a warp-thread breaks or becomes unduly slack. v

The following-described means by which the object of the present invention is accomplished may be employed in connection with any kind of loom and with any form or design of drop device which is provided with two points of contact to engage the terminal bars,

- and particulaly with a form in which one of the points of contact is outside of the line of descent of the body of a drop. These drops in practice are made of thin metallic strips hav ing an aperture 22, through which the warpthread is adapted to pass, the tension of the thread maintaining it during the normal running of the loom'out of electrical engagement with the circuit-terminals.

In Figs. 4 to 10., both inclusive, the drops are shown as provided with a projection or projections extending from the body portion thereof and adapted when the drop falls to contact with a terminal or the terminals of the circuit. Referring more particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, the drops 23 are made of thin sheet metal,

the body being comparatively long and narrow and provided with a longitudinal slot 24,

through which is passed a .uidebar 25, se-

cured tothe'loom-frame. n this particular form the body of the drop is formed-with twb lateral projectiens 26 and27, which are preferably inclined on the under side to insure good contact with the c1rcuit-term1nals'28 and 29, their respective connections to the battery-wires being indicated by the plus and minus signs. The terminal 28 is shown as a plain bar. The terminal-29 is formed of a coiled spring, tact and effective locking of a drop-inits fallen position the convolutions of said spring are sufiiciently far apart or the spring itself of such elasticity as to ermit the entrance of a drop or of its latera projection between adjacent convolutions. The top of the terminal '29 is slightly above that of the terminal 28, so that when a warp -thread breaks or becomes unduly slack the. weight and mo.- mentum of the fallen drop cause the projection 27 to pass between twoadjacent con-.

volutions of the terminal 29. Thus when a drop falls the projection 27 .will enter between adjacent convolutions and engage the slightly-inclined coil of the spring with a and to insure certainty of con-I glancing or shearing action, 'WhlCh in a masure locks the drop in such manner that the jar of the loom tends to more firmly secure it in its fallen position. Also, depending upon the closeness of the sprin -coils, the drop will be gripped laterally, ad acent convolutions' of the spring retaining a firm hold upon the drop and preventing any movement which would result in, breaking the circuit. The fall being suflicient to bring theprojection 26 into contact with the terminal 28, the circuit willbe closed and the magnet 13*.energ1'zed to stop the loom through the instirumentalities xoo above described, the circuit being readily Q traced from battery 11 or other source of current to coils of magnet 13, switch 12, terminal 28, dro 23, terminal'29, to battery. It is to be un erstood that the terminals are suitably insulated from the frame.

The construction of termi 'al 29insures the retention of the drop in its fallen position, as it is unable to escape the ipping .or wedging action exerted upon it i y the coils of the spring between which it is held, and therefore the magnet 13 will remain energized until after. the shipper-lever has been released. The guide-bar 25 maintains the drops in verticalposition, and it will be noted that the width of the drop is less than the distance between the terminals, so that said terminals are outside of the path of descent of the body of the drop and within the path ofthe projections 26 and 27 Fig. 3also shows the utilization of one of the terminals, in this case the terminal 28, for two adjacent banksofdrops,

one bank being shown in section. When one terminal is thus utilized, the alternate termi- 1 nals 29 are coupled u to one of the battery wir s, as shown in ig. 1.

tion the spring-terminal 29. may be suspended on" a wire 30, said,,wire nop interfering with the proper engagement and adjustment of the To impart the requisite stiffness and freedom from; deflec- I drop with the terminals. Such construction is shown in Figs. 4, 7, 11,and 15. In Fig. 16 the terminal 29 is shown supported exteriorly on a bracket 45 and in Fig. 17 on a bar 46.

In Fig. a form of drop is illustrated having but one projection 31, the bar 32 serving not only as a guide, but as one of the circuit terminals, and the other terminal 29 "formed of a coiled spring similar to that of Fig. 4. The diameter or width of the terminal 32 is substantially equal to the width of the slot 24, so that said terminal and the drop are always in contact with eachother, the circuit being closed by the engagement of the projection 31 with the terminal 29. Two banks of drops are shown, the terminal 29 be ing utilized for both and lying outside of the path of descent of the hoo c he drop, but adapted to receive and hold a alien drop by reason of theirjprojections 31. The d'nps may be divided into any number of des: ad or convenient groups or banks each having one individual terminal, as 32, and adj acent banks together utilizing the other terminal 29.

Figs. 6, 13, and 14 show another form of terminal consisting of a comb-like structure comprising a plurality of teeth 33, secured to a suitable base 34, the dro s and teeth being shown larger and spaced farther apart than in practice for the purposes of illustration. These teeth arepreferably triangular in section, with the apeXes uppermost and so placed relatively to the drops that the projections of the latter in falling will impinge against the side of one of the teeth and slide between it and the adjacent tooth, so as to be firmly wedged between said teeth. In these figures the other circuit-terminal 32 serves as a guide-bar to maintain the drops in an upright position, the teeth 33 of the. other terminal lying outside of the path of descent of the body of the drop. It is not absolutely essential that the teeth 33 shall possess the property of elasticity, if they are made of substantially the section shown in Fig. 14, inasmuch as the drop will be gripped laterally between the inclined faccsof the adjacent teeth.

It is, however, within my invention to make these teeth dill'ercntly from that shown in the drawings or in such forrnthat they will be elastic, so that the projection on the-drop will be firmly held to prevent the breaking of the circuit alter a drop has fallen.

It will be readily understood that owing to the light weight of the drops the conditions necessary to ell'ect their retention in a fallen position require that the hi)ldiug-terminal shall he comparatively delicate in construe-- tion--that is, if ol' the spring form the convolutions should not be too tightly wound or coiled, and ii of the comb type that the teeth should not be placed too close together y to prevent the entrance between them of the projection of the drop. 7 4

Fig. 7 illustrates a drop and arrangement projections 26 and 27 similar to that of Fig. 4,

except that it has also an open-ended slot 35 similar to Fig. 7. In Fig.8 both terminals aref'ormed of coiled springs 29, so that a fallen drop will be firmly held at two points.

Fig. 9 shows still another modification in which the outside terminal 29'is formed of a coiled spring, and the inner terminal consists of a thin metal blade 36, set into and insulated. from a supporting bar 37, said bar be- 1 One of the battery-wires 1S connected to the terminal ing secured to the loomdrame.

blade 36 and the other to the terminal 29.

Fig. 10 shows a form of drop without a projection extending from the body thereof. In this case the terminal blade-36 is similar to that of Fig. 9 and the other terminal 29 a coiled spring supported below and in the path of a falling drop. To insure the drop passing between two convolutions of the terminal 29, the lower ends of the drop are preferably beveled at 38. This form of drop also has two slots, one of which, 24, is closed and the other, open, the latter engaging the warp-thread. Fig. 11 shows another form of drop and dispositron of the circuit-terminals. The drop H1 this instance has a narrow elongated body 23,. the upper end 39 of which is enlarged and provided with a closed slot 39, saidv end having an inwardly-projecting portion 4O, adapted when the drop falls to cut between adjacent convol'uti'ons of the spring-terminal 29, passing through the slots 39, but out of contact with the side walls of said slot in the same manne .that the oritwardly-extended projections of Figs." 4 to 9 act. The drop of Fi 11 is supported in a vertical position b k: guide-bars 41 and. 41, of insulating materia and in side contact therewith. The outer terminalbar 42 is suitably supported in one of the guide-bars, or two such terminal bars may be provided, one on each side of the drop, as shown in the drawings, and coupled together by one of the battery-wires. (lontactof the dropwith terminal 42 is ellected by means ofa shoulder orshoulders 43, constituting the lower projecting edge of the enlar ed, end. 39.

" 12 shows a drop of the same general 55 .3. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising dropdevices supported in normal posias a uide-bar for thedrop. The other termina -29 rests upon a suitable support 44 of insulating material, which is secured to the loom-frame and supported. within the upper closed slot 39. The" preferred arrangement of drop devices is one to secure contact with the terminals above the warp in order to bviate any difficulty due to the accumulation of fluff or lint. I

The cut-out switch 12 is su ported upon a bracket secured to the loom-frame and provided with a lever 45 in contact with and adapted'to be moved by a projecting arm 46 on the shipper-lever. When the circuit 11 is closed by a fallen drop, the shipperlever will be released, as above described, and as said lever is moved the switch-lever 45 is moved,

so as to break the circuit atthe switch 12. When they loom is again set in motion by moving the shipper-lever 6 into'engagement with its retaining-shoulder, the lever 45 will be moved by a spring 47 to close the circuit at -switch. 2.1.- The purpose Iof the switch 12 is therefore. topsave the batteries by breaking described and desire to the circuit as soon as the shipper-lever is released.

The purpose of the present invention being to' provide means to hold a drop in its fallen position until after the shipper-lever has been released, and believing myself to be the firstto accomplish that result, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise means shown and claim the same broadly.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y 1; A Warp stop-motion for looms compris- I ing drop devices supported in normal position by unbroken warp-threads, a normally 0 en electric circuit adapted tobe closed t rough its terminals by contact-therewith tion by unbroken warp-threads, a normally enelectric circuit adapted to be closed 0 t ough its terminals by contact therewith. of a fallen'drop, one of said terminals having means adapted to grip a drop laterally and hold it in its fallen position .when a warpthrea'dbreaks or becomes unduly slack.

4. A'Warp stop-motion for looms compris-- ing drop devices supported in; normal posttion by unbroken warp-threads, a normally.

open electric circuit adapted tobe closed through its terminals by contact therewith ofa fallen drop, said terminals being above the plane of the warps and one of them having means to hold a drop in its fallen position when a warp-thread breaks or becomes un-.-.

duly slack.

5. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop devices supported in normal position by unbroken wafp-threads,.a normally.

openelectric circuit adapted to beclosed through its terminals by contact therewith of a fallen drop, one of said terminals being formed of separable "yielding sections between which the drop is adapted to be held open electric circuit adapted to be closed f through its terminals by contact therewith of a fallen drop, one of said terminals consisting of a coiled spring between the convolutions of which the drops are adapted to enter whena warp thread breaks or becomes unduly slack.

7. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop devices supported in normal position by unbroken warp-threads, a normally open electric circuit adapted to be closed through'its terminals by contact therewith of a fallen drop, saiddrop devices having slots therein through which one of said terminals is adapted to pass, the other terminal being supported ouside of the drops, oneof said terminals having means to hold a drop in its fallen position when a warp thread' breaks or becomes unduly slack.

' 8. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop-devices supported in normal pOSl-.

tion by unbroken warp-threads, a normally open electric circuit adapted to be closed through its terminals by contact therewith of a fallen drop, a projection 'extendingfrom said drops adapted to engage and be held by one of said terminals when a drop falls.

9. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop devices supported in normal position by unbroken warp-threads, a' normally open electiic circuit having terminals extending transversely of the warps, said drop devices having a projection extending rom the body thereof and adapted to contact with one of said terminals which lies outside the path of descent of the body of the drop, and one of said terminals having means to hold a drop in its fallen position when a warp thread breaks or becomes unduly slack.

10. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop devices supported in normai position by unbroken warp-threads, a normally open electric circuit adapted to be closed prising-drop devices supported in normal po- 'ing means to hold a drop in its fallen position rdulysla'ck.

. sition by unbroken Warp-threads, a normally dilly slack.

- having means-to hold a drop in its fallen pothrough its terminals by contabt therewith of a fallen drop, said drop evic es being formed of sheet metal having al ngitudinally-slotted body with a contact projection extending therefrom, one of said circuit-terminals hav- When a Warp-thread breaks or becomes un- 11. A; warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop'devices supported in normal poopen electric circuit adapted to be closed through its terminals by contact therewith of a fallen drop, said drop devices being formed of sheet metal having an elongated body provided with two slots therein one of which isopen at one end and the other closed at both ends,-and one of said circuit-terminals having means to hold a drop in its fallen position when a warp-thread breaks or becomes un- 12. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop devices supported in normal position by unbroken warpthreads, a normally open electric circuit adapted to be closed through its terminals by contact therewith of a fallen drop, said drop devices being formed of sheet metal having an elongated body provided with two slots therein one of which is open at one end and the other closed at both ends, one of said circuit term inals passing through the closed slots and serving also as a guide for the drops, and one of the terminals sition when a warp-thread breaks or becomes unduly slack.

13. A warp stop-motion for looms comsition by unbroken warp-threads, a normally open electric circuit adapted to be closed through its terminals by contact therewith of a fallen drop, said drop devices being formed of sheet metal having an elongated body provided with two slots therein one of which is open at one end and the other closed at both ends, a contact projection extending from the body of the drop, one of said circuitterminals passing through the closed slots and serving also as a guide for the drops, and the other terminal lying outside the path of descent of the body of a fallii'ig drop and adapted to receive and hold the drop by said projection when a warp-thread breaks or becomes unduly slack.

14. A warp-stop motion for loonis contprismg drop devices supptmted in normal position by unbroken warp-threads, a norn'ially o en electric circuit adapted to be closed t ough its terminals by contact therewith sition by unbroken warp-threads, a normallyv open electric circuit adapted to be closed throu h its terminals by contact therewith of a fa len drop said circuit-terminals extending transversely of the warps, said drop de vices being arranged in banks or grou s between adjacent circuit-terminals an drop having a contact projection, one of said terminals having means-to hold a drop in its fallen position when a warp-thread breaks or becomes unduly slack. 16. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop devices support-ed in normal position by unbroken warp-threads, anormally open electric circuit adapted to be closed through its terminals. by contacttherewith of a fallen drop said circuit-terminals extending transversely of the'warps and one of them arranged between'adjacent banks or groups of drop devices and having means to hold a drop in its fallen position, and a projection extending from the body of the drop and adapted to contact with and be held by said terminal when a warp-thread breaks or be comes unduly slack.

17. A warp stop-motion for looms comprising drop devices supported in normal position by unbroken warp-threads, a normall open electric circuit having terminals exten ing transversely of the warps and lying outside the path of descent of the body of a falltions extending from the body thereof adapteach ed to contact with said terminals, one of said terminals having means to hold a drop in its fallen position when a warp-thread breaks or becomes unduly slack. i

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

' ALLAN A. JOHNSON. Witness es:

FRED. M. ARMSTRONG, W. H. CROWNINSHIELD. 

